Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Tuesday it had halted production and shipments of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup after uncovering a possible battery issue during pre-delivery checks.
“We are not aware of any incidences of this issue in the field,” Ford spokesperson Emma Bergg said in an email. She said the production halt was announced at the beginning of last week.
Ford added it was looking into the matter, which was previously reported by CNBC and originally reported by Motor Authority. Shares of the automaker fell 1% in afternoon trade.
It did not give a timeline for restart. The battery unit of South Korea’s SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS), SK On, provides batteries to Ford.
“We are currently investigating the matter at the moment,” an official at SK On said in a statement.
SK On produces batteries in South Korea, Hungary, China, and the United States for clients including Ford, Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS), and Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE).
Buy Crypto NowShares of SK On’s parent SK Innovation on Wednesday skid as much as 3.9% to reach a near three-week low in morning trade. Earlier in February, Ford announced disappointing quarterly results and signaled uncertainty around semiconductor chip supply.
The automaker in 2022 hired a third work crew for the electric pickup truck to benefit from the high demand for EV adoption.
